ATMPs (advanced therapy medicinal products) are expected to reach a global value of 80 billion euro in 2032. While it can be tempting to try to go it alone, the fastest and most intelligent way to advance is by advancing together. The event, Advanced Therapies in Belgium, presents such an occasion, offering a space for innovative ideas and featuring speakers from the forefront of the Belgian and international ATMP innovation.
There has been an unprecedented surge of investments in sustainable agriculture and food technologies in the last decade, but that trend now appears to have reversed into a free fall in funding. This pattern of promise-to-disillusionment perfectly matches the hype cycle previously demonstrated by breakthrough technologies in other sectors. Can we forge a path forward for sustainable agrifood start-ups?
Even ‘safe’ levels of antibiotics in food might fuel the next generation of superbugs.
Even tiny traces of antibiotics in the meat and fish we eat could contribute to antibiotic resistance. According to research by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, as little as one tenth of the amount of antibiotics currently regarded as ‘safe’ by regulators is enough to trigger resistance in bacteria. Now, the scientists are expanding their research, initially performed on wax moth larvae, to mice and humans.
Our current food system is responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, extensive deforestation, unsustainable water usage, and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. Currently, the processes used to produce our food represent an obstacle to limiting average global temperature increases to the levels set out in the Paris Agreement. But are these damaging effects of our current food production landscape an unavoidable cost of feeding humanity or can smart investments in sustainable agritech be part of the solution?
In a hospital, numerous single-use masks, gloves, syringes, and more are thrown away every day to safeguard patients. However, this linear supply chain leaves a large footprint and can have negative effects on our environment and public health. It seems that the road to achieving sustainable healthcare is not straightforward, but circular.
The adage ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ rings especially true in the dynamic realm of biotech startups. Most successful biotech companies have a foundation built on a robust relationship between their founders and venture capital (VC) partners. This founder-VC partnership represents a symbiotic relationship between a venture capital firm and the founding team of a biotech startup. But what are the key factors for a successful partnership?
Luxembourg may be one of the smallest nations in the world, at just over 2,500 square kilometers and around 670,000 inhabitants, but it packs a punch in the global life sciences ecosystem. With world-class research institutes, startup accelerators, and the country’s growing digital prowess, Luxembourg is attracting global talent and putting digital healthtech solutions front and center.
So, how did the Grand Duchy establish and grow its thriving research and startup landscape, and what is the vision for the future?
In our overfed yet undernourished modern society, we must understand how the things we eat contribute to our gut microbiome and overall health. Analyzing how the friendly and not-so-friendly communities of microbes in our gut respond to our daily intake of food, additives, supplements, and pharmaceuticals will help companies formulate more nutritious products while providing us with crucial insights to help us all be healthier for longer.
Could we ever recreate the complexity of the human brain in the lab?
Over ten years ago, researchers aimed to do just that by developing a three-dimensional cell culture method to grow the first ever miniaturized versions of the human brain, so-called ‘brain organoids.’ Innovation in this field continues at a rapid pace, with researchers in Luxembourg and around the world refining methods to grow organoids that resemble specific brain regions. These advances can help us understand the effects of Parkinson’s disease on cells while driving the discovery of novel therapeutics beneficial to those in need.
ATMPs (advanced therapy medicinal products) are expected to reach a global value of 80 billion euro in 2032. While it can be tempting to try to go it alone, the fastest and most intelligent way to advance is by advancing together. The event, Advanced Therapies in Belgium, presents such an occasion, offering a space for innovative ideas and featuring speakers from the forefront of the Belgian and international ATMP innovation.
There has been an unprecedented surge of investments in sustainable agriculture and food technologies in the last decade, but that trend now appears to have reversed into a free fall in funding. This pattern of promise-to-disillusionment perfectly matches the hype cycle previously demonstrated by breakthrough technologies in other sectors. Can we forge a path forward for sustainable agrifood start-ups?
Even ‘safe’ levels of antibiotics in food might fuel the next generation of superbugs.
Even tiny traces of antibiotics in the meat and fish we eat could contribute to antibiotic resistance. According to research by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, as little as one tenth of the amount of antibiotics currently regarded as ‘safe’ by regulators is enough to trigger resistance in bacteria. Now, the scientists are expanding their research, initially performed on wax moth larvae, to mice and humans.
Our current food system is responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, extensive deforestation, unsustainable water usage, and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. Currently, the processes used to produce our food represent an obstacle to limiting average global temperature increases to the levels set out in the Paris Agreement. But are these damaging effects of our current food production landscape an unavoidable cost of feeding humanity or can smart investments in sustainable agritech be part of the solution?
In a hospital, numerous single-use masks, gloves, syringes, and more are thrown away every day to safeguard patients. However, this linear supply chain leaves a large footprint and can have negative effects on our environment and public health. It seems that the road to achieving sustainable healthcare is not straightforward, but circular.
The adage ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ rings especially true in the dynamic realm of biotech startups. Most successful biotech companies have a foundation built on a robust relationship between their founders and venture capital (VC) partners. This founder-VC partnership represents a symbiotic relationship between a venture capital firm and the founding team of a biotech startup. But what are the key factors for a successful partnership?
Luxembourg may be one of the smallest nations in the world, at just over 2,500 square kilometers and around 670,000 inhabitants, but it packs a punch in the global life sciences ecosystem. With world-class research institutes, startup accelerators, and the country’s growing digital prowess, Luxembourg is attracting global talent and putting digital healthtech solutions front and center.
So, how did the Grand Duchy establish and grow its thriving research and startup landscape, and what is the vision for the future?
In our overfed yet undernourished modern society, we must understand how the things we eat contribute to our gut microbiome and overall health. Analyzing how the friendly and not-so-friendly communities of microbes in our gut respond to our daily intake of food, additives, supplements, and pharmaceuticals will help companies formulate more nutritious products while providing us with crucial insights to help us all be healthier for longer.
Could we ever recreate the complexity of the human brain in the lab?
Over ten years ago, researchers aimed to do just that by developing a three-dimensional cell culture method to grow the first ever miniaturized versions of the human brain, so-called ‘brain organoids.’ Innovation in this field continues at a rapid pace, with researchers in Luxembourg and around the world refining methods to grow organoids that resemble specific brain regions. These advances can help us understand the effects of Parkinson’s disease on cells while driving the discovery of novel therapeutics beneficial to those in need.